These vegan blueberry cookies are summer in dessert form. Loaded with jammy pockets of fresh berries and topped with a mouth-puckering lemon glaze, you won’t be able to stop at one.

A stack of blueberry lemon cookies. The top cookie is broken in half to reveal the inside.

Summer is coming, and, for me, that’s when the fresh fruit cravings kick in. Loaded with fresh blueberries and lemon, these cookies hit the spot. They’re so tender with the perfect chew, and every bite delivers an explosion of fresh berry flavour. All in less than 30 minutes!

I love the glaze on top, too. Made with nothing but lemon juice (and zest) and some powdered sugar, it’s sweet with the perfect amount of tart. Honestly, I can’t stay away from anything with a lemon glaze. Whether it’s these cookies, my Vegan Lemon Loaf, or Vegan Poppyseed Muffins, it’s one of my favourite ways to doll up a fruity baked good.

What Makes These Vegan Blueberry Cookies So Perfect?

These blueberry-loaded cookies are a summer go-to in my household. Here’s why they work:

  • Baking with fresh fruit can be tricky. The juices have a nasty habit of seeping into doughs and batters, making them too wet and adding unwelcome colour. This recipe skips this by being extra gentle when folding in the blueberries.
  • I love that, as the cookies bake, some of the berries collapse into jammy pockets while others stay whole. It keeps you guessing with every bite.
  • Cookies in 30 minutes? Don’t mind if I do. This recipe is super quick to whip up, with about 15 minutes of prep and 15 minutes in the oven.
Labeled ingredients for vegan blueberry cookies.

Notes on Ingredients

Ready to make some lemon blueberry cookies? Head to the store for the following ingredients (see the recipe card below for exact measurements):

For the cookies:

  • Vegan butter – Softened at room temperature. You can use store-bought or homemade vegan butter.
  • Brown sugar – Light or dark brown sugar will work. Dark brown sugar will yield a slightly deeper mollasses-y flavour.
  • Unsweetened vegan milk – Soy milk is my go-to for a richer cookie, but any unsweetened plant milk will do.
  • Vanilla extract – To deepen the flavour profile a bit.
  • Lemon zest – Grated fresh from the lemon.
  • Lemon juice – I would stick to fresh lemon juice. The bottled stuff tends to be overly acidic.
  • All-purpose flour – Sifted for the best texture. You could use a 1:1 gluten-free flour instead.
  • Cornstarch – Using cornstarch helps make these cookies a tad softer and more tender.
  • Baking powder – For the perfect rise.
  • Sea salt – Or table salt.
  • Fresh blueberries – You could use frozen berries, but I don’t recommend it. See the section below titled “Fresh vs. Frozen Blueberries” for more on this.

To make the lemon glaze:

  • Powdered sugar – Don’t try to use a different kind of sugar. The glaze will turn out gritty.
  • Fresh lemon juice – I mean it when I say fresh! Straight from the fruit.
  • Lemon zest – Freshly grated.

Fresh vs. Frozen Blueberries

I highly recommend using fresh blueberries here. Frozen berries, even when they are thawed, drained, and patted dry, add too much moisture to the dough, compromising the texture of the finished cookies.

How to Make Lemon Blueberry Cookies

These cookies come together in just about 30 minutes. Here’s a quick look at how it’s done. You’ll find more detailed instructions in the recipe card below.

  • Prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Brown sugar and vegan butter in a bowl.
Combine the brown sugar and vegan butter.
Creamed brown sugar and vegan butter in a bowl.
Cream for 2-3 minutes.
Mixing vegan milk, vanilla, lemon zest, and juice into creamed brown sugar and vegan butter.
Beat in the vegan milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla.
  • Cream. Beat the vegan butter and brown sugar on medium speed for 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the wet ingredients. Mix in the vegan milk, vanilla, lemon zest, and juice.
Combining the dry ingredients for cookie dough.
Combine the dry ingredients.
Vegan cookie dough in a bowl.
Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
Vegan blueberry lemon cookie dough in a bowl.
Fold in the blueberries.
  • Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt.
  • Put it all together. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Then, fold in the blueberries.
Balls of lemon blueberry cookie dough arranged on a cookie sheet.
Arrange balls of dough on a cookie sheet.
Balls of lemon blueberry cookie dough shaped into thick disks on a cookie sheet.
Flatten into discs.
Blueberry cookies on a cookie sheet.
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 14 minutes.
  • Scoop the cookies. Scoop ~2 tablespoons of dough for each cookie and place them on the baking sheet with some space between them. Lightly shape them into thick rounds with your hands.
  • Bake. Bake for 14-16 minutes.
  • Cool. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack.
Whisking together powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest to make lemon glaze.
Make the glaze.
Overhead image of glazed blueberry cookies on a cooling rack with a bowl of lemon glaze.
Drizzle glaze over cooled cookies.
  • Make the glaze. Whisk together the powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and the lemon zest. You can add more lemon zest to thin the glaze if needed.
  • Glaze the cookies. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cookies.
  • Rest. Let the glaze set for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Close-up of a lemon blueberry cookie broken in half to reveal the centre.

Tips for Perfect Blueberry Cookies

If you want your lemon blueberry cookies to turn out just right, have a look at the following tips and tricks before getting started:

  • Softened butter. Allow the vegan butter to soften at room temperature before beginning. If it’s too cold (or melted), it won’t cream properly with the sugar.
  • Don’t skimp on creaming time. When creaming together the butter and sugar, do so until the mixture noticeably lightens in colour and gains some volume. This will help yield softer, more tender cookies.
  • Some curdling is normal. The combined wet ingredients may appear curdled. That’s just the plant milk reacting with the lemon juice (like in my Vegan Buttermilk). Don’t sweat it.
  • Don’t over-mix. When combining the wet and dry ingredients, mix just until you can’t see any streaks of dry flour. Mixing past this point will cause the glutens in the flour to overdevelop, resulting in tough, dense cookies.
  • Be gentle. When folding the blueberries into the dough, do so gently with a silicone spatula. If the berries break, the dough can become streaky and overly moist.
  • Use your hands. Use your hands to lightly shape the cookies into thick rounds. They don’t spread much. Shaping before baking helps them cook more evenly.
  • Cool completely. Allow the cookies to cool completely before glazing. Otherwise, the glaze will sink into the cookies rather than sitting on top.
  • Easy on the lemon. When making the glaze, start with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and add more gradually if needed. It’s easier to thin it out with more lemon juice than it is to thicken it.
Close-up image of vegan blueberry lemon cookies on a cooling rack

Variation Ideas

Want to switch things up a bit? Consider the following recipe variations:

  • Orange delight. More of an orange person? Swap the lemon zest and juice for orange zest and juice (in the glaze and in the cookie dough). You could also replace the blueberries with dried cranberries if you prefer.
  • Crinkle-top cookies. Chill the dough for 1–2 hours before rolling 2-tablespoon-sized dough balls in powdered sugar. Arrange the dough balls on lined cookie sheets, shape them into disks, and bake/glaze as usual. See my Lemon Crinkle Cookies Recipe to see how it’s done.

How to Store

  • Countertop: Allow the cookies to cool completely and the glaze to set before transferring any leftovers to an airtight container. These cookies will keep at room temperature for up to 5 days.
  • Freezer: Once the cookies have cooled and the glaze has set, transfer them to an airtight, freezer-safe container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

I wouldn’t store these in the fridge. They’ll dry out.

Vegan blueberry cookies on a cooling rack with a bowl of lemon glaze.

More Blueberry Recipes

To continue this celebration of blueberry season, I’ve got a few more must-make blueberry-centric recipes for you:


Enjoy friends! If you make these blueberry cookies, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!

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Vegan blueberry cookies on a cooling rack with a bowl of lemon glaze.

Blueberry Cookies with Lemon Glaze

Servings: 12 cookies
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 14 minutes
Total Time: 29 minutes
These vegan blueberry cookies are summer in dessert form. Loaded with jammy pockets of fresh blueberries and topped with a mouth-puckering lemon glaze, you won't be able to stop at one.
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Ingredients

Cookies

  • 1/2 cup vegan butter, softened, 112g
  • 1 cup brown sugar, 200g
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened vegan milk, 30ml
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 5ml
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 2g
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 30ml
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted, 240g
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 8g
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder, 4g
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, 3g
  • 1 3/4 cups fresh blueberries, 260g

Lemon Glaze

  • 1 cup powdered sugar, 120g
  • 2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 30ml-45ml
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, 1g

Instructions 

  • Prepare the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a large baking sheet or two smaller baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Cream the butter and sugar. In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened vegan butter and brown sugar together on medium speed until lighter in colour and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. This helps give the cookies a softer texture.
  • Add the wet ingredients. Add the vegan milk, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix until fully combined. The mixture may look slightly curdled, and that is fine.
  • Mix the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and sea salt until evenly combined.
  • Form the dough. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Stir gently just until no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix.
  • Fold in the blueberries. Carefully fold in the blueberries with a spatula. Try not to break them too much, or the dough can become streaky and wetter.
  • Scoop the cookies. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough for each cookie and place them on the prepared baking sheet, leaving some space between them. Lightly shape them into thick rounds with your hands. These cookies do not spread very much, so shaping them a little now helps them bake more evenly.
  • Bake. Bake for 14-16 minutes, until the edges are set and just lightly golden. The centers should still look soft.
  • Cool. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack and cool completely before glazing.
  • Make the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth. Start with 2 tablespoons lemon juice and add a little more only if needed to make it easy to drizzle.
  • Finish the cookies. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cookies. Let the glaze set for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Notes

  • Keep creaming. Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy and significantly lighter in colour. 
  • Don’t over-mix. When combining the wet and dry ingredients, mix just until you can’t see any streaks of dry flour to avoid overdeveloping the gluten. 
  • Be gentle. When folding the blueberries into the dough, do so gently so as not to break the berries.
  • Use your hands. Shape the cookies into thick discs before baking so they bake evenly. 
  • Cool completely. Allow the cookies to cool completely before glazing. 
  • Easy on the lemon. For the glaze, start with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and add as needed.
  • Storage. Once the cookies have cooled and the glaze has set, store the cookies in an airtight container. They’ll keep at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw before serving. 
Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 257kcal, Carbohydrates: 48g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.04g, Sodium: 200mg, Potassium: 75mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 30g, Vitamin A: 377IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 43mg, Iron: 1mg

Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.

Cuisine: American
Course: Desserts
Author: Jessica Hylton